The Nayuki Chronicles
by Joshin Batra
Summary: So Nayuki wasn't the best there was at controlling Chakra, and maybe her grades in the academy were low, but now that she's a genin, she'll prove them all wrong! So Tengu wasn't the best martial artist, nor did he come from a fancy clan, but soon he'll prove to everyone that sometimes a well timed kunai is all you need... What happens when these two collide? Genderbends all around!
1. The Meeting

_I OWN NOTHING… except for my dog, and she's not in this_

_The Nayuki in this story has had the same life as the original Naruto had with a couple slight changes, this is not a true dark fic but I will try for at least a two tear jerkers eventually, can't have nothing but happy I just don't do that, it doesn't make sense to me_

_NARUTEN Fic, yaaaaay =D _

_Let the Fun commence!_

-Tengu's POV-

I groaned as I sat up in my bed and turned to my bedside clock, my alarm wasn't shrieking so I must have woken up ear-

_10:00 AM_

"G-G-G-Gah, I woke up late!" I yelled as I grabbed a set of my usual Active-clothes

One blue, high neck top with red fasteners along the front seam and one long sleeve to hide a Kunai holster strapped to my right arm, a part of black hakama with white linen wrappings to close the ends and prevent them from flapping around, a pair of blue combat sandals, and a set of holsters for my weapon scrolls, which are made from sandy colored paper with red trims

My brown hair is a little out of control and spikes up like mad no matter how much I comb it, my eyes are a hazel color and my skin is a bit tan from all the time I spend outside training with my squad, I stand at five foot one

"Oh man, Gai-sensei is gonna kill me with laps around the village for this!" I said hysterically as I stripped from my plain sand colored pajamas and fall into the shower, my hand smacking into the shower knob and putting the water to full blast, at full burn "Aiiiieeee!"

Changing the water to a more tolerable heat and cleaning myself up as quickly as I could I got dressed and leapt out my apartment window, onto the village rooftops, and towards the usual meeting place for my team

The Riverbank, about fifty yards downriver from the bridge, it'll be quicker to roof jump until I reach the bridge, otherwise I'll have to go through the Market Plaza, where I'll probably collide with someone

My name is Tengu, my Jonin-Sensei is Maito Gai, my teammates are Hyuuga Negima of the Hyuuga Branch Clan and Ippo, and I'm a ranged weapon specialist in our Taijutsu based squad

And sometimes, I think I'm the only sane member of the group

-Nayuki Uzumaki's POV-

"Damn it!" I yelled as I pulled my green sweatpants on, hopping over to the door out of my apartment and bursting through it "OW!"

I am Uzumaki Nayuki of Team Seven, my Jonin-Sensei is Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan, my teammates are Haruno Sakumo, a ninja with an all civilian family, and Uchiha Sasuke, the last of the Uchiha Clan

Sakumo has pink hair, like most of the Haruno Merchant Clan, and wears a red top with white fastenings and sleeves longer than his arms, along with red Hakama, dark maroon Tabi, and black combat sandals; he stands at four foot ten

Sasuke wears a blue shirt with a wide high neck collar that he hides his lower face in when he's mad, as well as cream colors shorts and black combat sandals, he has pale skin, black hair that spikes backwards, and stands at five feet tall

"Stupid alarm clock, not ringin' like it s'possed ta" I growled as I picked myself up, pushing some of my crimson red bangs behind my ears, the rest of my hair fell freely down my back, I have sunkissed skin, light green eyes, and three whisker marks on each cheek

I'm also the Container for the Kyuubi No Yoko, not my favorite aspect of my life but hey, everyone has problems, maybe they don't have gigantic furry jerks in their stomachs but they still have problems

I wear an orange sweat jacket with white and blue trim over my black tanktop and green sweatpants, my favorite color is orange but I like blue too, I wear wrappings to stop myself from flopping around but Kakashi said something about a 'C' last time we sparred, my jackets zipper broke and it flew open just before he said that, I stand at four foot seven

Sakumo got mad and tried to hit me for it, it wasn't _my _fault, it was Kakashi-senseis kunai that hit the zipper!

Slipping on my geta, I raced for the bridge, Sakumo is gonna freak that I was late, but I'll be there before Kakashi-sensei!

Wait… is it really being late if you're there before your purposely late sensei, even if you're not there when he said to be there?

"Can't let Kakashi-sensei beat me there!" I growled as I ran from rooftop to rooftop, heading towards the bridge as fast as I could

-Tengu's POV-

"Almost there!" I breathed out as I reached the last house before I had to turn

Just as I did, something slammed into me, throwing from the house to the middle of the river

Thank Kami my scrolls are waterproof

"Pffaah!" I blew out as I surfaced "Aww man, Today is not my day"

Just my luck that I take the path that should avoid collisions, just to get slammed by someone and fly into the river

"Aggh, _Cold!_" the culprit screeched as she surfaced, bright red hair darkened lightly by the water, same with her orange jumpsuit "Why'd you get in my way!?"

I twitched in slight anger at the comment "Your way, what were you thinking going so quick!?" I yelled "You could have fallen and knocked yourself unconscious, shouldn't you be in the Academy right now?"

She turned red "I'm not that small!" She yelled "I'm a Genin and the Future Hokage!"

I blinked"You sure about that, only an academy student would be stupid enough to go that fast on the rooftops"

"What!?" She screamed, jumping out of the water and onto my head, trying to put me back under the water "Take that back!"

"Why should I?" I laughed as I grabbed her and tossed her off my head, she was actually kinda fun to mess with "I'm still a year older than you"

She frowned, and then smiled "Hehehe, I'm Uzumaki Nayuki of Team 7, nice ta meet cha!" she said, reaching for a handshake

I grinned and slapped my hand into hers "I'm Tengu of team Gai same here" I said "maybe you and I could hang out sometime, six PM at the Market sound good, we could grab some sesame dumplings"

"Sure!" she yipped out "See you then"

I began swimming down the river, maybe I can convince Gai-sensei I've been swimming and lost track of time

-Nayuki's POV-

"Baka, you're late!" Sakumo said resentfully "Where were you!?"

"I overslept, and Sensei's not here and won't be for another hour" I retorted

"Dobe" Sasuke grunted out, what do other girls see in him anyway?

"Anyway, why'd you accept his offer, you don't even know him and you're going on a date with him?" Sakumo asked "Seems kinda stupid"

"D-Date, it's just two people have dumplings" I said "Dumplings are just a snack to talk over"

"Riight" Sakumo said

"What's this about dumplings?" Kakashi-sensei said as he walked onto the bridge

"_You're Late!" _Sakumo screamed, I swear he's supposed to be a girl

"Sorry, I got lost on the road of life" he replied "Seriously though, what's this about Dumplings?"

"Nayuki got asked out for dumplings by some guy and she said yes" Sakumo said "a guy she only _Just_ met"

"You make it sound wrong, he's a leaf Shinobi just like us" I explained "Besides it's just dumplings, it's not like we're having Ramen, then it'd be a date"

Sakumo looked at me with a deadpan expression, what, it makes sense!

"What's his name?" Kakashi asked

"Tengu, he swam down the river" I answered before Sakumo could

"Ah, one of Gai's students then" Kakashi mused "Alright, today we'll be-"

"Hold on, you're not going to say anything about this, she could be in danger!" Sakumo said

"Sakumo that's enough, if it was anyone else's student I might be worried, but it's one of Gai's kids, whom I happen to know, unfortunate as it is" Kakashi explained "Gai would kill him before he'd let him hurt Nayuki, or any other girl for that matter, Nayuki is probably spending time with the safest person she can be with right now"

"Still…"

"Tell you what, after training I'll talk to Gai, our teams will go have dumplings together" Kakashi said

"that sounds fun!" I said

"Fine" Sakumo ground out, what is he so worried about anyway?

"Now, let's begin with some warm-up exercises, afterwards we'll continue our training from Wave by sparring on the tree trunks"

"Hai!"

-Tengu's POV-

"Ah, there you are Tengu, what are you doing in the water?" Gai-sensei asked as he parried blows from Negima and Ippo

Negima was in a plain tan Kimono with a red obi, tabi socks, and her headband hiding her seal, while Ippo wore the same green spandex as sensei but she didn't cut her hair into a bowlcut, she simply kept it into a long braid; she had large eyes and eyebrows, kind of like sensei

I sometimes wonder if they're related, then I realize that it'd be every scarier if they were I think about other things… Negima stands at five foot four while Ippo about five foot five

"I thought I'd go for an early morning swim to warm-up for training today, but I lost track of time" I lied, Negima saw it but didn't comment, Gai and Ippo however suddenly went into one of their 'youthful' freakouts

"What really happened?" Negima asked

"Alarm clock didn't go off" I whispered "Fell into the river in my haste to get here, thought I'd use it to my advantage"

She shook her head

"Tengu, my wonderful student, swimming is a great way into strengthen the body!" Gai said "We, as a team, shall take a youthful dive into the river and swim from here to the bridge fifty times!"

"If we cannot, we'll run from the bridge to here a hundred times!" Ippo shouted, pumping a fist into the air

I felt a sweatdrop go down my face, maybe I should have just went with the laps around Konoha, at this rate I might just drown!

_A/N_

_And so we see a day in the lives of the two main characters of this little tibbit_

_not much else to say here... heheh..._

_JoshinBatra Out~ Kwuwahaha_


	2. The 'Date'

-Nayuki's POV-

I sat at the dumpling shop next to Tengu and Sakumo, the latter was semi-glaring at Tengu, who didn't seem to care

"I -nom- don't see what you're problem is" Tengu said, biting into a rather large sesame dumpling "It's not a date, she just seemed cool"

"Uh-huh"

"And if I hurt her" he continued, finishing off the dumpling "Gai-sensei would probably beat my head into the ground for not being proper around a lady"

"You're not being proper now, you're talking with your mouth full!" Sakumo quipped

"So am I, Sakumo-san" I said with a dumpling in my mouth "I don't mind it at all"

"You see, I'm treating her like an equal, not some wallflower" Tengu explained

"Hmph" Sakumo said, biting into a riceball he'd ordered, he said he wasn't in the mood for dumplings

"Ahh, it wonderful to see our two teams getting along so well isn't it Kakashi!" Gai exclaimed before eating a dumpling "This is good, I should come here more often"

"If you say so Gai" Kakashi said, using his book to hide his face as he ate his soup "I'll admit, it's one of the few places with miso soup and eggplant"

Sasuke, like Sakumo, is eating rice balls, but he also had some tomato bisque that he seemed to enjoy a lot

Tengu's teammates, Negima is eating a herring noodle soup while the girl next to him, Ippo, ate a spicy curry with gusto

"Sho good!" Ippo said with a really red face

I couldn't help but giggle at her antics while Tengu sighed "I like Ippo, she seems more fun than Sasuke and Sakumo, they're soo stiff"

"I guess, still, sometimes I wish she'd relax a bit"

-Tengu's POV-

"But we're genin, we're still civilians compared to other shinobi" Nayuki said with a curious look "We need to train constantly so we can catch up to all the people who started training before us"

"An Excellent Point Uzumaki-san!" Gai-Sensei exclaimed, causing Nayuki to jump and blush, I guess she's not used to praise "As genin it you're duty to do whatever it takes to become stronger so you can take on harder missions, pushing your limits even further until you become the greatest you can be!"

Ippo had pulled out her notebook and was writing down Gai-senseis speech while Nayuki seemed to sink into her jumpsuit, _Really _not used to praise

"Calm down Sensei, you're embarrassing her" I said "Besides, we're at a restaurant, and I don't think people want you interrupting their meals with such loud words, they're here to relax"

Gai-sensei looked at Nayuki and nodded "Right, of course, forgive my outburst" he relented, a bit calmer now as he went back to his dumplings, talking to Kakashi about their 'rivalry'

"So Nayuki, what do you specialize in?" I asked

"Nothing really but I know how to use the shadow clone jutsu" she said "during my free-time I train with my Kanabo along-side Kotetsu, he's only a chunin but he has this really cool clam-shell mace as big as he is!"

"I think I've met him" I mused, thinking about the people I've seen at one of the Ninja supply stores "He has a bandage over his nose right, dark spiky hair?"

"That's him, he and Izumi help me coordinate my shadow clones and Kanabo swings" Nayuki said beaming "I'm starting to get good at it, I just wish I knew Izumis syrup technique"

"Syrup technique?" I asked "What's that?"

"Izumi and Kotetsu live together to save money since they're usually stuck with Guard Duty" she explained "one day Izumi was having waffles and Kotetsu slipped on the syrup, Izumi decided to make a jutsu based on it, basically he spits out a lot of sticky syrup at his opponents feet making it hard for them to dodge when Kotetsu comes down on them with the mace"

"Huh, kinda hard to imagine those two inventing Jutsu"

"They're a lot smarter than people give them credit for" she chirped "I mean they _Always_ get guard duty, it's not exciting but it's really important"

"What makes you say that?"

"What would be the easiest way to infiltrate Konoha?" she asked "Right through the front gate"

"Now you're just messing with me"

"Think about it for a minute, what happens if someone, say a dignitary we don't currently have information on comes to Konoha?" she asked

"We'd… have to let him in, if we deny him and it's really him we make a fool of ourselves" I said

"and if it isn't?" she asked "What if it's a Jonin, or even Special Ops, they're in no problem!"

I had to admit, that was true, and it's how the Hyuuga incident happened

"we don't have guards there to look pretty, though Kotetsu could probably pull in girls if he actually tried…" she mused "they're there to take note of who comes in and out, see who's Jonin and who's civilian, you need near perfect observation skills for that"

"Wow, you're pretty smart" I said smiling and leaning back "Who told you that?"

"The Hokage, it's why he picked them for the main gate guards, that and with Izumi's syrup and Kotetsu's crow jutsu, they can pin down a group quickly and send a signal"

"No way, you can't be that close to the Hokage" I said

"Actually, Nayuki was near raised by Hokage-sama" Kakashi said as he looked through his book "Nayuki's an orphan and entered the Academy early, due to her pranks she ended up in the Hokage's office quite often, and she grew on him"

"Seriously!?" Sakumo said "the Dead-Last is close to the Hokage, why would he even take note of her?"

"That's not how you should talk about your teammates!" Ippo snapped, finally looking away from her curry, which was nearly gone anyway "I can't believe you'd even say that about her!"

"Hey, it's not like I asked for her to be on my team, Sasuke and I don't need her" Sakumo hissed out, making Nayuki sink back into her jumpsuit and lean against me

I swear after he said that I thought he was going to die from the way Gai-sensei put down his chopsticks _Gently_ and the way Kakashi's book, which had been open since our teams met up an hour ago, closed with a snap, revealing that his mask was, somehow, still on his face

But before they could do anything, Ippo damn near roared and jumped up, spinning into a roundhouse and slamming the back of Sakumos head with her heel, knocking him into the table hard enough to crack it

Nayuki eeped and her head disappeared into her jacket as she near burrowed into the booth

"Ippo!" I yelled, gesturing at Nayuki, who seemed to be nearing a breakdown "Calm down, you're scaring her!"

Ippo looked up at Nayuki, who was latched onto me at this point and started apologizing

"Maaybe this wasn't a good idea" Kakashi said "I'll take my student to the hospital, but when he wakes up I'm having a serious talk with him"

He turned to me "Do you think you could take her to her apartment, it's just north of here" He said as he carried Sakumo to the hospital

"'m s'rry, I shouldn'a said anything" she whispered from her jacket as I helped her out of the restaurant

"Hey, none of that was your fault Nayuki-san, Haruno's just a jerk alright?" I said "so, tell me about your Kanabo"

She pushed her head out her jacket a bit "It's solid metal, with rounded studs instead of spikes" she murmured "it's five feet long, a foot and a half of it is handle, I have my second headband tied to the hole at the pommel"

"Second headband?"

"Mhm, Iruka-sensei gave me his headband when I passed, but the Hokage said I needed new one since the metal is different than it was when Iruka became a genin" she explained, her head popping out of her jacket as she stood up straight "So I tied to headband Iruka gave me to my Kanabo instead"

I smiled as she went further into the way she used her Kanabo to not only fight but help build the bridge in Wave during the C-Rank Team Seven went on recently, she really seemed to like it using it

As we kept walking north though I started to get bothered, I can see why we crashed, our homes are on opposite sides of Konoha, but this was also the poor part of Konoha

"uhhh, Does Kakashi really know where you live?"

"Yeah, he brought me vegetables once" she said with a slight hum "Besides, it's not so bad here, and it's really cheap!"

"I'll bet" I deadpanned as I watched a cat jump down into a dumpster and run off with a rotting fish "I just thought you lived somewhere… safer?"

"The rent was too much for me, I could barely buy ramen!" she whined, before giggling "You're nice"

"Huh, where'd that come from?"

She just hummed and ran off into one of the larger buildings

"H-Hey, Nayuki!" I yelled, running in after her "Don't run off like that!"

"You don't have to follow me, this is my apartment building" She said, running up a set of stairs

The 'lobby' was dusty as heck, the clerk was as greasy a guy you could find, and there were no waiting chairs

"Room 208, second story" the clerk said "That's her room"

"Thank you" I said with a slight bow of my head as I shot up the stairs to find her

-Nayuki's POV-

I went into my apartment room and closed the door behind me, falling onto my bed soon after

My apartment wasn't anything special, just a two room space, one bedroom and one bathroom, a small futon in the corner was my bed but it was a cozy place

The walls weren't painted, and the floor creaks a lot, but it really is nice

_Knock _"Oiii, Nayuki-san"

"Tengu?" I asked "Why'd you follow me here?"

The door opened to reveal Tengu, who looked a bit annoyed "You ran off, besides, I thought we could talk a bit" he said, looking around "Wow, not much room in here"

"It's all I need, I only sleep here anyway" I explained "What did you want to talk about"

"That Kanabo, I'm a weapons specialist" He said, scratching the back of his head with a grin "and maybe we can plan another outing, just... without that jerk Sakumo…"

"Sakumo's notso bad, he was second place for Rookie of the Year, and Sasuke-san is Rookie of the Year…" I explained "I'm just the dead-last…"

"You know, I didn't hear you say much about what Sakumo did in Wave, what did he do?" Tengu asked, sitting next to me "I mean, you told me he stood near the Bridge builder, but that's pretty much it"

Tengu then press a finger against my cheek "You however, not only made the plan that freed your sensei from one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist while under duress, but you also beat someone even the 'Rookie of the Year' couldn't beat" he said "Sounds to me like the Academy was wrong about who was the best on your team"

He ruffled my hair a bit "So, where'd you buy you're Kanabo?"

I grinned "Hitsumaru's Weapon Shop, he-"

"Forges every weapon he sells, everything's-"

"Made right there at the shop!" I squeaked "I didn't think anyone else shopped there, his store is always so full!"

"Heh, you haven't been there after my restocks then, after every C-Rank I go on I head over there to refill my scrolls" Tengu explained "the price is high but every weapon is the best you can find"

"Definitely!" I exclaimed "Sakumo-san doesn't shop there because he only uses Kunai, and Sasuke only buys from people who will engrave the Uchiha Symbol on his weapons"

"Talk about impractical, throwing weapons shouldn't be engraved with symbols, it ruins the throws and makes a weak point in the blade" Tengu said shaking his head

"I know, but he's really big about making sure everything he uses is an 'Uchiha' item, otherwise it's not 'worthy', stupid Teme" I grumbled "And stupid Sakumo, he never carries anything but a set of kunai and basic camping equipment"

Tengu laughed "See, you're already getting your attitude back"

"I don't have an attitude!" I whined

All that did was make him laugh more

"Ah, just what I was hoping for" Kakashi said from my window "you two seem to get along nicely"

"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?"

"Did you make sure to knock Sakumo's head into a pole, or drop him on the way to the hospital?" Tengu asked "Oh, or maybe you had him removed from service"

"Tengu-saaaaan!" I moaned "Sakumo-san isn't so baaaad, he's just-"

"Worst than trash" Kakashi cut in, surprising me "and for someone who was near renowned in the academy for listening and following instructions, he hasn't learned anything from me yet, despite my attempts"

Kakashi moved into the room, not even making a sound despite stepping on a bunch of the really squeaky boards "That's actually why I came here, Nayuki seems to have figured out what I wanted to teach my team, despite everything that happened she's still trying to defend them" Kakashi said "Problem is, I can't start training her in combat when I'm still trying to get Sasuke and Sakumo to treat her as an equal"

"Should be seeing her as a second in command" Tengu muttered

"As such, I've asked Gai to train you alongside his squad for bit, so Sasuke and Sakumo won't hold you back too much" Kakashi continued "He agreed to help with your training, provided that his team tolerates you"

"Negima won't care, she doesn't do much beyond the basic training and sparring with Ippo" Tengu noted "Ippo's… probably going to try to help, and honestly I like the idea of someone sane to talk to"

I looked between them for a moment "B-but won't they get mad?" I said "Sasuke won't like that I'm getting special training, and Sakumo-san doesn't seem to like you Tengu…"

Tengu shrugged "Considering he dislikes someone like you and likes someone like Sasuke, I think I'd be insecure about myself if he _did _like me, I'd rather not be a whiny bitch, thanks"

"Kinda mean to say that" I said, still unsure about this whole thing

"Nayuki, as much as I hate to say these words, it's for your own good" Kakashi said, putting a hand on my shoulder "Don't worry, you won't miss anything, the most we'll be doing is D-Ranks, and I'll still check on you once a week"

"Promise?"

"Promise" He said, smiling under his mask as he tussled my hair "Now, you two play nice now"

And then he disappeared in a puff of smoke, a Shadow Clone

He must still be with Sakumo-san

"How about I spend the night?" Tengu said once the smoke disappated "that way I can show you where my team meets up tomorrow?"

I jumped away "Wh-what!?"

"What, I'm not asking to share a bed, I have my sleeping bag with me, I always keep my equipment with me incase Gai-sensei decides to leave us somewhere as survival training" He said "Last time the three of us woke up on a mountain with instructions telling us to stay on the mountain but still find shelter, food, and a source of drinkable water"

I clasped my hands together in front of my face, fidgeting slightly "I… Well"

"Your face is red, don't tell me you're shy all of the sudden?"

"I-It's not that!" I said "It's just… it's not-"

"If this is something Sakumo-baka said, you should remember all he's done is insult you" he said "And probably isn't actually caring about your well being"

I blinked when he said that, he was kinda right wasn't he?

"Well… I, ok" I said "But I get the shower first!"

"After what happened this morning, I'm not objecting to that"

I just smiled and grabbed my pajamas, they were flannel and had little toads on them

"Froggy pajamas?" Wham! "owwww" Wham!

"They're Toads!" Wham! "there's a difference!" Wham!

"Alright Alright, just stop hitting me!"

I turned sharply and left the room, leaving him laughing there "Don't even think of going through my stuff!"

"Damn it..."

-Tengu's POV-

"Bloody hell she hits hard, for a Rookie..." I said, looking at my reflection in her only window "And gods above this place is as spartan as it gets, all she has is a closet for clothes, a futon, and a bathroom, it'd better be bloody cheap"

I unbuttoned my shirt when I heard her shower turn on, should have about a half-hour, give or take "Wonder where she eats, in here or is there an eating area downstairs?" I said " I hope there's an eating area downstairs, I'd rather not go to a restaurant for breakfast"

I flung my shirt into the corner opposite of her bed "I'd rather not make her nervous so I'll sleep over there" I said, unbuttoning my pants and beginning to pull them off

"Meep!"

"What the- you're already-!?"

She's done and dressed already, it's only been like what, three minutes!?

"Hentai!"

"Wh-What!?"

She slammed herself out of her own room "J-Just hurry up, Ero-Tengu!"

"I am not a Pervert!"

"You're stripping in the middle of a girls room, a girl you only just met!"

"I thought you were going to take longer, like a half hour or something!"

"It was a rinse not a shower, Ero-Tengu!"

"I am Not a Pervert!"

"You are!"

"I am not... ugh, fine" I said, dropping my pants and putting on my charcoal colored sleepwear "Sweet gods this is embarrassing"

"You're not the one who saw a perv undressing in the middle of her room!" she said "You're worse than Kakashi-sensei!"

"Don't_ Even_ go there!"

-Nayuki's POV-

Damn it!

Why in the _Heck _is he _Stripping _in _M_y _Room!?_

Ero-Tengu, making me look at his broad chest, his muscular, lean, six-pa-

Stop it!

Stupid Perverted... Argh!

"It's Safe now"

"You're still a Pervert!"

"Whatever"

"And you're sleepin' on the other side of the room!"

"Was... kind already planning on that..."

I growled and grabbed a few of the towels, six should do it, now where's my scroll...

-Tengu's POV-

I watched her walk into the room with six towels, a metal rod and what I'm assuming is her Kanabo, what the heck is she planning to do with

CLING!

why is she...

CLANG!

"You can't be serious"

DING!

"You cannot be serious"

She put the now curved rod over her bed before

DING! CRUNCH!

hammering it into the wall and sewing the towels to it, essentially creating a curtain around her futon

I'm not sure whether to applaud her creativity, or question her sanity

"Now you can't watch me or do whatever it is perverts do"

"Ok, for the last Time, I thought you were going to take longer!" I said "Even Ippo takes like, forty minutes to shower!"

"You stripped in the middle of my room!"

I sighed and unsealed my sleeping bag "Whatever, see you tomorrow"

This is going just swell...

...

and now I can't sleep

"Hey..."

"What?"

"I'm sorry"

"M-M-Me too"

"You Ok?"

"Y-Yeah"

_'no she's not, she sounds cold...'_

"I have a spare blanket, Ippo usually forgets hers in the excitement of a new mission" I said "If you're co-"

"I'm na' c-c-cold" she said, there was an obvious shiver to her voice "'m fine"

damn it...

I got up, unsealing the extra blanket as I did and walked over to her, moving the curtains and throwing the blanket over her, the sheet she had wasn't enough for this weather

she gasped as the blanket fell over her, covering her up as I closed the curtains she made and walked back to my sleeping bag, slipped back in and lied down

...

"Hey..."

"Yeah?"

"... Thanks"

"No problem"

I heard her snore lightly before I let myself sleep

_'I promise, I'll make things better for you'_

_'You don't have to be alone anymore'_

and with that, I fell asleep


	3. Welcome to The Team

_A/N I OWN NOTHING!_

_Thank you_

-Nayuki's POV-

_Brriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing_

"M'ohhhh, too earrrlyyyy"

"No kidding"

I blinked and shot out of my futon, someone was in my apart… ment…

Oh yeah, Tengu-san… stayed the night, it feels weird having a guy spend the night

I mean, aren't guys and girls supposed to have different rooms

"You okay?"

"Y-Yeah… I call shower!" I said, walking over to my closet and grabbing my usual orange tracksuit and green sweatpants

"No objections from me…" Tengu said, looking at my clothes "but… Isn't that a bit thick for this weather?"

"What do you mean?"

"you'll sweat like mad and tire out faster in those" He said "… Maybe wear thinner clothes?"

"But if they're thin then when I sweat they'll wet the clothes and"

Tengu sighed as I started rambling "and Sakumo-san says it's inappropriate for a woman to run around in soaked clothing?" He said, finishing my sentence for me "that's what Sakumo-baka told you right?"

I bit my lip and nodded

"Remind me to kill the moron"

"O-oi, he's not"

"He _is_ that bad!" Tengu said, cutting me off "first he insults you in a public restaurant after you prove that you're not only better than him, but more capable as a shinobi"

"B-But"

"And now you're telling me he gets on your case for wearing normal clothes, and demands you wear something as thick as those!?" Tengu said before letting out a sigh "Look, I'm not mad at you, but this Sakumo guy… I can't even begin to describe how much I want to hurt him"

"B-But… what am I supposed to wear, this is all I have" I said "I got rid of the other clothes…"

Tengu stopped looking angry at that, now he looked kinda sad "Listen, we've got about an Hour before Gai-sensei starts training, so we probably don't have time to go buy any clothes" He said "So how about, after training, we go find you some new clothes?"

I blinked at him "I… I don't know…" I said, it seemed weird, and my heart feels weird too

He just shrugged "I'm not saying you have to decide now, anyway, we need to get ready" He said, grabbing another set of clothes like the ones he had on yesterday "Gai-sensei doesn't like it when people are late"

-Tengu's POV-

She nodded and ran into the bathroom, obviously embarrassed

This Sakumo guy really needs to stop being such an ass…

"Complains about her diet and test, won't eat anything but healthy food, and whines about clothes being too thin…" I said, making sure I had everything I needed "Let's see, outfit, weapon scrolls, medical kit, food pills, camping set, _extra_ camping set…"

Everything seemed in order; hopefully seeing as we have a rookie with us Gai-sensei will relax a bit

…

Yeah, fat chance of that, it's nice to hope though

"Shower's free" Nayuki said, walking into the room as she brushed her hair out

"Huh… you're pretty quick" I said, it'd only been like, 10 minutes tops

"m' hair's long but I move faster than most girls" she said "besides, if I shower too long I run out of hot water"

'_That… would be good motivation to hurry up I guess' _

"Should be another ten minutes worth of hot water left" she said, putting the brush down "I'll get breakfast"

"Go get?"

"Yeah, there's no food here, I usually drop by Ichiraku's and grab a bowl on my way to my team" she said "But I don't know which direction we're going"

No… food, don't most places have, like, a cafeteria or something, or have a kitchen in their apartments?

"This place… is really cheap"

"Yep!"

"I didn't mean that in a good way"

"How is less expensive a bad thing?" she asked "with the cost of this place, I can have a place to sleep, enough money for food, and still have seventy percent of my D-Rank mission payments to put into savings"

That… didn't sound too bad

Still a rat hole, but at least it's a really cheap rat hole

"So… are you going to shower?" she said

"Err… right" I said, walking past her and entering the bathroom

Dear… god…

"I'm supposed… to feel clean in here?"

The walls and tile floor were all worn with age and had stains, not to mention cracked in certain areas, the shower was ok but I'm probably not going to use the toilet in here

"Um… Nayuki?"

"What?"

"How about tonight, we stay at my place"

"W-Why?"

"You're friends, you said they might get mad and I don't want them bothering you" I said, it was true, it wasn't the reason I mentioned it but still true "Not to mention it's closer to the training ground Gai-sensei has us use"

"Well… ok"

Now for the next challenge

Actually being clean by the time I leave this dump…

Sighing, I hung my clean clothes on the hook attached to the door; the pajamas were dirty anyway so I just let them fall to a cleaner spot of the floor… did something in the corner just move?

Hate this place, severely hate it

Don't care how much it'd save money-wise; this place is a rat hole, possibly complete with rats

-Nayuki's POV-

I waited for the water to turn on before opening the window and jumping out, we're only two floors up after all, nothing for an amazing shinobi like me!

I hit the ground running, I should probably ask for it in two bowls, so Tengu-san can have some, I bet he'll love it, Salt ramen is the best after all, way better than dumplings!

The thought of him smiling spurred me on faster, I had to make him smile!

That's what friends do!

Left, now right, keep going past the three clothing store- Oh that looks nice

I stopped and ran back to the last clothing store, they had a long sleeve, orange shirt with a big black spiral on it that looked a bit more comfy than my tracksuit

'_Isn't that a bit thick for this kind of weather?'_

I grabbed my toad wallet and looked through inside, then looked at the price of the shirt

"This'll make 'im smile for sure!" I said, running into the store "I'd like the shirt in the window please!"

The Clerk just ignored me and kept listening to the music on his MP3 Player

"Hello!" I said, a bit loudly

Still ignored, Grrr…

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu" **I said, creating ten copies of me before we all pulled in a breath

"Hellooooo!" we all said at once, raising our voices at least ten decibels, causing the Clerk to fall out of his chair and his ear buds to fall out of his ears "Thanks girls"

They all nodded before puffing out of existence… poof

"W-What is it?" The guy asked, pulling himself up

"I'd like to buy the shirt in the window, the orange one"

"R-Right, let me get it, just don't yell again" he said, walking over to the window and grabbing the shirt "That'll be-"

"This much right?" I said, pulling out at least two-thirds of my wallet "3420 yen right?"

He rang it up and blinked "Um… right…" He said "How did you-"

"Less talk more _Gimme!"_ I said, grabbing the shirt as he put the money into the cash register "Do you have a dressing room?"

"In the back"

"Arigatoooo Clerk-san!" I said, running to the back of the store

"My name's" was all I heard before I closed the door and unzipped my tracksuit

Tengu-san will be so happy to see I'm in normal clothes!

… and I'll last longer when training, that's why I'm buying this, not for Tengu-san and his six-pack _Why do I keep Thinking about his Six-pack!?_

"M'oooh, stop it!" I said, hitting my head with my hands "Stop thinking about it!"

Stupid Tengu-san, making me look at his chiseled chest and strong, lean arms and

"_Stop thinking about it!"_

"Are you alright in there?"

"Yes!" I said, slipping into the shirt and running out with my old tracksuit in hand, slipping it over the new shirt so I don't have to carry it the whole way back home

-Clerks POV-

I watched the orange blur leave the store, near ripping the door off of its hinges

"Come back again… soon?" I said, despite the fact that she was long gone

-Nayuki's POV-

"Ayame-sama, Queen of the Noodle!" I said, getting on my knees and bowing to the ground, mock worshipping her as Ichiraku-jiji started laughing at my antics "I am not Worthy of your sight"

"Of course not, but I'm feeling generous today, have your blessing and be done" she said in a silly voice before the two of us started laughing "A-Anyway, here you go, two bowls of Salt ramen"

I got up and grabbed my bowl, breathing in the yummy smell… wait "How did you know I wanted two?"

"Hatake-san visited yesterday, said you have a guest and would probably ask for us to split your breakfast into two bowls" Ichiraku-jiji said "So we decided to prepare two batches for you, so you don't get hungry in the middle of your training, on the house!"

I looked between the two of them and bowed "Domo – Arigato Ichiraku-san, Ayame-san" I said before grabbing the other bowl before heading back to Tengu-san

Best. Morning. Ever

-Tengu's POV-

Worst. Morning. Ever

Turns out there was only Five minutes of hot water, which was ok, that's all I needed but at the last second as I was turning off the water I got sprayed with ice cold water down my back

Then I got out of the shower and slipped on the tile, slamming my face into the wall which showed its age… and cracked

After that it was ok, I dried myself up, rinsed my face of the drywall, got dressed, and got out of her bathroom

To find an elderly civilian woman cleaning up her room my shoving all of my things into the closet and tossed my scrolls in a trash can

She looked at me, screamed, and started attacking me with a broom, calling me an intruder

So that's where I am right no,w desperately trying to not kill a civilian

"Listen to me!" I said "I'm a friend of Nayuki's!"

"Like hell you are, probably just some pervert trying to steal her undergarments!"

"I am _Not _a Pervert!"

"Yes you are, Intruder, Intruuuuder!"

"Obaa-chan!" Nayuki said as she entered the room with… two bowls of Ramen?

"Nayuki?" the old woman said, dropping her broom "Do you know this man!?"

"He's a friend, we had dumplings yesterday" Nayuki said "he stayed the night so he could show me where I'd be training"

"Oh… I am very sorry sir"

"It's alright… I'm ok"

"I'll just be leaving then"

"H-Hold on, you threw a few of my scrolls away" I said, getting up and grabbing a few of my weapon scrolls

"What's so important about those, nothin' but gibberish in 'em"

"They're storage seals"

"More Ninja magic then?"

"… Sure"

"Obaa-chan, maybe you should come back in a little bit, we still need to get ready" Nayuki said, smiling warmly "We'll even pick up so you don't have to do anything"

"Ohh sweetie, you don't have to do that" she said, but she still left the room pretty quick "Don't let him grab you, not 'til you're sure he's good"

"Obaa-chaaaaan!"

The old woman just left and went to the next room

"… So… ramen?"

"Yep, Ayame-chan and Ichiraku-Jiji make the best Ramen in the village!" she said "Oh, and look what I found!"

She took off her jacket, revealing an orange, long sleeved top with a black swirl near the stomach, and there wasn't a zipper to get caught or broken

Just a normal long sleeve shirt

"Like it?"

"It's definitely better than the tracksuit" I said "Easier to move in too right?"

"Yep!" she chirped, handing me my bowl and chopsticks "Now let's eat!"

I took my bowl and sat down with her, breaking the chopsticks and bringing the noodles to my lips

… it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, not too strong but still packed with flavor

"It's good" I said

"It's the best!" she said, her bowl already empty

'_How did she… so fast…'_ I thought, feeling a bead of sweat on fall from my forehead as I continued to eat _'It's like it disappeared…'_

She got up and started cleaning this up as I ate, surprisingly there were still _some_ nutrients in the meal, chopped vegetables, meat, and tofu swam in the broth alongside the noodles

"Done yet?"

"'M na' a vacuum" I said, trying to hurry up a bit "Ho'd you eat sho fast?"

She looked up for a moment before shrugging "I don't know, I just do, Kakashi said something about 'no gag-reflex' or something when Sakumo-san asked last time" She said, causing me to nearly choke on my food "Plus I'm used to eating really fast so I can do other stuff… hey, that's the same response Sakumo-san had!"

I just ignored her and brought the bowl to my lips, drinking the broth before putting the bowl down "Hey, thanks"

"For what?"

"Getting breakfast" I said, smiling as I got up

"Oh, no problem!" she said, smiling right back "Come on, 'Gai-sensei doesn't like it when people are late'"

I couldn't help it, I laughed

Maybe this morning wasn't so bad

-Nayuki's POV-

Yes!

I made him smile; I _knew_ he'd like ramen

"So, where are we going?" I said "Do you guys have a specific training ground?"

"Not really, but we have a general meeting place, follow me" He said, leaping out of the window

"_What are you doing here!?" _

Oh no

"Sakumo-san?" I said, poking my head out of the window "Why are you here?"

"Yeah Baka, what are you doing here, shouldn't you be primping your hair or something?" Tengu said from the rooftop across the street "I mean seriously, pink hair?"

Sakumo bristled at the comment "Shouldn't you be off with your sensei, and not hanging around _my _teammate!?" Sakumo said "As for why I'm here, she's late so I'm coming to get her"

"Must not have gotten the memo, She's coming with me" Tengu said "Kakashi-san is having her train with my squad, something about you guys holding her back…"

Tengu looked at his fingers as he said the last part "Considering we're a year senior to you guys that's some serious praise, he's pretty much saying that she's good enough to keep up with us" He said "Besides, since when do you care, Mr. 'Didn't ask for her to be on our team'"

Sakumo just growled "Like hell, Kakashi-sensei wouldn't just pawn her off, come on Nayuki"

"But I wanna train with Tengu-san" I said "And Kakashi _is _having me train with them since you and Sasuke-san aren't learning the whole idea of teamwork"

"And you are?" Sakumo said "Doesn't seem like team spirit to up and leave your team"

"Doesn't seem like team spirit to stand back and do nothing while someone that's supposed to be weaker than you does all the work" Tengu said "Let's go Nayuki-chan, Gai-sensei is waiting"

"Nayuki, don't you _Dare_ go with him, Remember the bell test" Sakumo said "Kakashi-sensei is always being deceptive when he teaches people. How do you know this isn't a test?"

I looked between the two of them, why are boys always so confusing…

"Kakashi wouldn't have bothered to give you reasons to leave if he wanted to you to stay Nayuki-chan"

"You are not going to ruin our team; I'm not going to be held back because of you!"

_-Flashback-_

"_Sakumo-san isn't so baaaad, he's just-"_

"_Worse than Trash"_

_-End flashback-_

I glared at Sakumo-san "Kakashi-sensei's right, you're worse than trash" I said, jumping over to Tengu-san "You don't even care about me, all you ever care about is you!"

"What the hell are you wearing; those are going to get soaked!" Sakumo said "Trying to get more attention I see"

I flinched, I wasn't-

"Oi, Baaaaaka, in case you haven't noticed, you're the one causing a scene" Tengu said, putting an arm over my shoulder "Look, I get it, that's what you're into, but don't force everyone around you to wear so many layers they're unattractive, it's not cool"

"I am not into fat girls!"

"Never said you were!" Tengu said, jumping towards the river "Let's go Nayuki, this guy's just looking for more attention"

"R-Right" I said, following after him and leaving Sakumo behind

Tengu-san is nicer anyway

"Do you think he'll be ok?"

"I hope not" Tengu said "screw stick, he's got a two by four stuck in his ass"

"Tengu-saaan" I said, blushing at the term

"It's true!" He said, flipping in midair so he could face me "He's a total prick!"

"Tengu-saaaaaan!"

-Sakumo's POV-

I ground my teeth as they left, how dare she pick someone like him over us!?

Sakumo Haruno, heir of one of the largest Merchant Clans in the village, and Sasuke Uchiha, last of the Uchiha clan!

"That bitch" I said "I'll show her…"

Looking at the apartment, I smirked

She thinks she can just run off, insult me?

She'll be back at my knees in no time when I'm through

-Nayuki's POV-

"Seeing as we have a new member to our family, I feel we should reintroduce ourselves!" Gai-sensei said, his white teeth sparkling under the sunlight "We've all changed this last year, so it's a good time to do so!"

"My name is Maito Gai, I like training and testing myself against others, my hobbies include training, sidesteps, and challenging Kakashi to duels to prove who is, in fact, the better Shinobi!" He said in a boisterous, proud voice "My favorite foods are Curry Rice and Curry Udon, I can't say I dislike anything beyond Kakashis hip attitude, and my goal is to see each and every one of you become the greatest you can be!"

He finished with an odd pose, grinning with wide open eyes and extending a thumbs up at all of us as the sun shined off of his teeth, complete with a little ding

"Your turn Nayuki-san!" He said

"M-Me?"

"Yes, tell us about yourself!" he said "You're the newest member of this little family of ours, so you should go next!"

"W-Well… alright" I said "My name's Nayuki Uzumaki, I like training and pulling pranks, my hobbies are gardening and practicing with my Kanabo!"

This was… more fun than it was with Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei actually looked like he was paying attention, and Ippo-san was even taking notes!

"My dislikes are liars, rain, and people who only read a book by its cover" I said, looking away when Gai-senseis face got really stern "M-My favorite food is Salt Ramen, especially the kind Ayame-chan and Ichiraku-jiji make"

"My dream… is…"

Gai-sensei looked curious "Is something wrong Nayuki-san?" He said

"I…"

Did I really want to be Hokage, Hokage-jiji is always stuck behind a desk of paperwork, and he doesn't get to go out and do missions

"At first, I thought I wanted to be Hokage… but now I'm not so sure" I said

"_Demon!"_

"_Monster!"_

"_Dead-Last!"_

"_Nay_uki-chan?" Tengu-kun said, bringing me out of my thoughts

"Huh?"

"You kinda spaced out" he said "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah" I said, turning to look at Gai-sensei again "Now… I have two dreams; I wanna have a family with a nice guy, and have a couple kids too"

"And the second dream?" Ippo said

"I… I wanna be strong enough to keep them, and all of my friends, safe no matter what!" I said "So please, don't hold back Gai-sensei, I don't want to hold your team back, besides, I'm ready!"

Gai-sensei smiled with that beaming grin, and Ippo was writing notes really fast, tears pouring down their faces like small waterfalls

And Tengu-kun… just smiled really nicely, it made me feel all fluttery inside, I could imagine him holding me with those strong arms and-

I blushed and turned away, Bad thoughts!

"S-So Beautiful!" Ippo said "It-It's soo beautifuulhulhullll!"

Gai-sensei wiped away his tears and put a hand on my shoulder "I promise to make you strong!" He said "For there is no better reason to be strong… then to protect your loved ones!"

"Gai-Senseiiiiii!"

"Ippoooooo!"

Then they started weeping and hugging each other, are older guys supposed to do that to girls they're not related to?

"Seeing as those two a bit indisposed, I'll go next, my name is Tengu Ryu, I like hanging out with friends and going for a good swim, I dislike bullies, pickled plums, and people who think they can do whatever they want without consequences" Tengu-kun said "My hobbies include 'trick shooting' with kunai and other weapons, and preparing my weapons, my favorite foods are Sesame Dumplings and, well, dumplings in general, my dream is to become a Legendary Shinobi, like Jiriaya-sama"

I closed my eyes and grinned, I don't know why, I just felt happy for some reason

"Hmph, my name is Negima Hyuuga, you're fated to leave this group anyway, so that's all you need to know" the pale eyed girl said "Though it's obvious you're smarter than some people on this team, you realized you're not fated to be Hokage and abandoned that dream"

I flinched, had I done something wrong already?

"Oi, Negima, either cut it out or I'll cut you to pieces!" Tengu said "She didn't do anything wrong, you have no right to act like that"

"T-Tengu-kun" I said, before clapping my hands over my mouth "I-I mean Tengu-san"

"Like hell I'm gonna stand by and let _My_ teammate, whom I _expected _to act _properly,_ bully you too!" he said, pulling out a pair of scrolls "You _Haven't _mastered that technique, I can still fill you full of metal!"

"T-T-T-Tengu-san don't!" I said "It's alright!"

"Listen to her Tengu, if you choose to fight you'll only lose" Negima said "It will always be your fate to lose to me"

I looked between the two of them as Tengu unfurled his scrolls, I didn't want to cause a fight, I didn't ask for this…

Then Gai-sensei put himself between them and put a fist in both of their faces, knocking both of them back "Enough!" He said "You two are teammates, and friends besides!"

"G-Gai-sensei…" Tengu said

"H-Hmph, just s-stay out my way" Negima said, getting back up just to be pushed back down by Gai-senseis foot "W-What!?"

"You are the one at fault here, though Tengu-san might have threatened you, his teammate, he did so in the defense of other member of this team" Gai-sensei said "I expected you to act better, Now apologize!"

She looked away, muttering an apology before Gai-sensei moved away, gesturing to Ippo "Your turn my lovely student" he said, making Ippo's eyes sparkle

Are they related or something?

"Yosh! My name is Ippo Lee! I like Taijutsu, training, and Spicy Food! Like Gai-sensei, I don't really dislike anything" She said, exuberant and happy "My favorite food is Curry Pilaf, and my dream is to prove to everyone that you don't need Ninjutsu or Genjutsu to be a shinobi!"

she seemed so happy, I felt the urge to clap when she finished

So I did, and Tengu smiled and clapped too, making Ippo blush a bit "Thank you"

As my clapping slowed down, I felt different, I couldn't explain it really, it was that new feeling, the one I got whenever I was around Iruka-sensei or Hokage-jiji, that feeling like everyone around me was really important…

Is this what family feels like, are they Family?

"Yosh! now that introductions are over, it's time to begin our training, we'll start with a warm-up jog of thirty laps around the village, followed by fifty laps up and down the river!"

Negima glared at Tengu at the swimming part

"Then we shall work on the Water Walking/Combat exercise for two hours, before taking our missions for the day!" Gai-sensei said "and when the Sun sets, I'll request a C-Rank mission for Tomorrow!"

"You mean it Gai-sensei!?" Ippo and I said at the same time, causing us to look at each other in shock

I think… this is family, or at least really close friends

"Of Course I do, our dear Nayuki-san has already been on an A-Rank mission, so I have no doubt it my mind she's ready" Gai-sensei said "Even if it was supposed to be C-Rank, that only means she's even better!"

I sort of shrunk back "It wasn't that big of a deal, Kakashi-sensei did most of the work…"

"Says the girl that took down a Bloodline user and assisted in the defeat of the Demon Brothers" Tengu-kun said, popping his back as he did "Come on, let's get started, quicker we're done the more missions we can take"

I nodded, pretty sure my face is red because Tengu-kun doesn't feel like family, he feels more important than that, I can't explain it and it's weird

Why does he feel so important when he makes my stomach do back flips and my head dizzy?

Then I felt someone run past me at high speed and saw that the others had already started running

I grinned and ran after them, this team is nice

_**(A/N)**_

_**Tengu: Hold up, what the heck is Sakumo planning!?  
**_

_**JoshinBatra: You expect me to tell you... why?**_

_**Tengu: Don't worry Nayuki-chan, whatever he does I'll fix it, just you watch!  
**_

_**JoshinBatra: Anyway, please review, and to those waiting on The Differences a Family Makes, Don't worry, I am working on it**_

_**Tengu: Damn Uchiha-teme gettin' my girl... Can I swing in and steal her away?**_

_**JoshinBatra: Hush you...**_


	4. Training Begins!

_**(DISCLAIMER!) I own Nothing... Well... Technically I own a computer... and a keyboard... and a box, tis a nice box...**_

-Nayuki's POV-

"Alright my Youthful Students, Now that we've warmed up, it's time for some Training!"

"Yatta!"

"Now, each of you will be getting a different training schedule for most of the day, then, we'll return to eachothers sides and we'll see how far you've gotten!"

"YATTA!"

"For Ippo-chan, for you I have gotten more Youthful Weights, but these weights aren't just heavier, but the weighted bars are etched with special seals that chain them into a large weapon!" Gai-sensei shouted, handing Ippo two large leg weights designed to wrap around the shins

"**YATTA!**"

"For Negima-san, I have brought a set of flexible armguards and fingerless gloves to protect your arms and hands from swordsmen or other users of close range weaponry"

"Hn"

"For Tengu-kun, I have brought a new outf-"

"No"

Gai-sensei sweatdropped, holding a green spandex like his "Had to try" He said, putting it back in a seal he kept hidden under his Jonin Vest "In Reality, I have brought a special kind of Storage seal, called a Ballistic Bomb Seal!"

"Sugoi!" I said, grabbing one of the seal etched kunai "by moving the usually 92 degree angle of the trajectory corners to a 60 and the 30 degree curve rate of the force spirals to a 90 degree angle spiked spiral makes those shoot weaponry like those rapid fire Kunai cannons on the towers around the walls, and with a three point Chakra Fuse, they can be used at long range, allowing for the same devastation as an explosive note without the bang!"

"You can Read seals!?" Tengu said as team Gai stared at me

"Not only that but they used an optional two point Repeater Seal on the handle that if charged would allow for a more controlled set of smaller bursts over a large blast!" I said, looking back up at a grinning Gai-sensei and three faces of Shock from the others "What?"

"… You figured out the entire make-up of a Ballistic Bomb Seal… from one glance?" Tengu asked, his eyes were kinda shiny, when Kakashi gets before he holds and cuddles a new Icha Icha book

"_OH Nayuki-chan, How could I live without you~" Tengu said, putting his strong arms around me and holding me head to his chiseled chest, putting his head in my hair and breathing deeply_

"_Tengu-kun~" I said, nuzzling his chest as my arms went around him, holding myself closer to him_

'_BAD THOUGHTS!'_

"Y-Yeah, D-Doesn't everyone?"

"Seals are next to impossible to Read right off the bat, why do you think so few are readily available to Shinobi!?"

He looked shocked as he explained how seals where extremely difficult to read, let alone make

"But I make Explosive notes and Storage scrolls all the time, I even enhance them!" I said "I even made a new Capture seal two weeks ago Tengu-kun, Seals are easy!"

That time even Gai-sensei looked shocked

"A-A Capture Seal!?"

"Yeah, Watch!" I said, pulling out a small scroll slip and putting it on Gai-senseis head "_**Fuin**_**!**"

Gai-sensei's breathing got super slow "False Paralysis Seal Success!"

"W-What did you do?" Tengu asked, looking over my shoulder, at the tag, his breath tickling my ear

"_Nayuki-chan, time to wake up"_

"_But I don' wanna get out of bed…"_

"_Well… I can do a few things to you then"_

"_Tengu-kuuuuuuun!"_

"I-It's my Capture seal, wh-when a-a-active the person inside th-the seal moves slowly" I said, holding the tag "_**R-Release!**_"

"… When did Tengu-kun get behind you, and why are you the color of a Youthful Tomato?"

I froze

Tomato…

Tomato..?

TOMATO!?

"I AM NOT A TOMATO!"

"UuuuWoooow, Nayuki-chan is so fast!"

"O-Oi Nayuki-san, C-Calm down!"

"_**METEOR HAMMER!**__"_

"G-G-Gai-senseiiii!"

-Tengu's POV-

I checked out the kunai Gai-sensei got me as Nayuki hid behind me and laughed nervously.

Gai-sensei was busy wrapping his wounds while Ippo screamed ecstatically about 'Youthful Teammates' and 'Passionate Flames'

Negima was somewhat out of character, just staring blindly at our new teammate who had pulled a Kanabo out of a seal on her back and slammed Gai-sensei into a nearby tree…

demolishing the trunk said tree…

"Yosh, I had no Idea my Eternal Rival had trained you so Well!" Gai-sensei said "Luckily I got a very high end gift, expecting to give it to you later this week, but you are already prepared!"

"A G-Gift?"

"Of course, you're one of us now, did you think Gai-sensei was just gonna leave you hanging!?" Ippo said "Gai-sensei never leaves anyone behind!"

"She's got a point, Gai-sensei generally works to make sure we're all treated fairly, no matter what" I said, pulling Nayuki out from behind me "Relax, I think we've all hit Gai-sensei once or twice… well, expect maybe Ippo, but Ippo hits him during training so I guess it's fair"

"Yosh!"

Gai-sensei pulled out a simple piece of paper, holding it out to her "This is Chakra Paper, I won't go into how it's created, but when you pump your youthful chakra into it, it changes to match your chakra element!"

"Element training?" I said "You're going to have her train in her element?"

"It cut in half, Awesome~!"

"Of course, unlike you my precious Students, Nayuki-san has a very large amount of Chakra, so much that she could specialize in Ninjutsu, something that is lacking on this team" Gai-sensei said "Ippo and Negima both have a great deal of Taijutsu prowess, and your skill at a range keeps you safe while complimenting them, but none of you have the chakra stores for prolonged Ninjutsu combat, so I didn't press on that, however"

"Oh Cool, it did it again!"

"Nayuki-san has more than enough Chakra for that, making her better suited for Ninjutsu"

"Sensei, I think I broke it…"

"Hmm?"

I looked at the leftover scraps of paper in her hands in shock, and so did Gai-sensei, usually wind chakra meant one slice

For her to completely shred it…

"Did you just keep pouring more or something, m-Maybe you should lay down"

"I just pushed a little bit…" she said "Small as I could make…"

"… How many chakra control techniques have you practiced with Kakashi-san?"

"Well… He taught us tree climbing after Zabuza-san"

"_After!?"_

"Before that it was mostly teamwork exercises and Taijutsu sparring"

Gai looked grim "Begin practice, Nayuki-san, here's a scroll on Wind natured Chakra, I need to speak with Kakashi" He said" When using your element, try to imagine two blades grinding together to make a sharper blade, understand?"

Gai-sensei disappeared as he put the scroll in Nayuki's hands, and Nayuki looked at me in... was that fear?

"D-Did I do something wrong?"

I put and arm around her shoulders and pulled her close "No, not you, Kakashi-sensei just didn't teach you much; I think Gai-sensei just wants to get a better read of what he's taught you"

'_Or whether or not he actually HAS been training you…'_

Nayuki just stood still, turning redder the longer I held her close

"Hey, you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, lemme go so I can train!"

-Nayuki's POV-

'_If I touch his stomach or chest I'll never stop thinking about how nice and hard the- STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!'_

"Alright" Tengu said, pulling his arm from my shoulder and sitting down ", Hey, you're pretty good with these seals, How about we work together, just you and me?"

'_We… Together, You and me'_

"S-S-Sure"

"Cool, let's start with your scroll, we'll move to my weapons later" he said, tapping the ground next to him "Wind works well with Weapons anyway, we'll be a great team"

"Y-Yeah"

I sat down next to Tengu and opened the scroll

_Wind Chakra and its Nature_

_Wind techniques are mainly used in Offense, but can also be used in defense against most projectiles, as well as an enhancement for sharp weapons, the Village hidden in the Sand is most notable for their wind specialists, who often use Tessen to enhance their capacity_

_When trying to use Wind techniques, one must imagine something sharp, as Wind is naturally sharp, most people visualize it in their own way, but for basic training, imagining a grindstone sharpening a blade is sufficient_

_Lesson One : The Leaf Cutting Exercise_

_Once you have the imagine of a Sharp blade, and your chakra has matched this image, it is time to begin by cutting a leaf with your chakra alone_

"With just chakra!?" I said "Is that even possible!?"

"It'll be hard, but it could work towards chakra control as well" Tengu said, leaning closer to me to get a better look at the scroll

"_This is nice, Nayuki-san, who knew you could cook so well" Tengu said, leaning up next to me as we ate from the picnic I prepared on top of the Hokage Mountain "This is the life"_

"_I'm glad you enjoyed it, Tengu-kun"_

"_Now… it's time for Dessert!"_

"_Uwa! Tengu-kuuuuun!"_

I blushed red when his hair blushed against my cheek, it was so soft and I wanted to run my fingers through it as I leaned up and _'Stop thinking about it!'_

-Kakashi's POV-

Of all the things I was planning on today, the sudden appearance of an emotionally lacking Gai was not one of them

"All she knows is Tree Climbing?" He asked "And only after she encountered a member of the Seven Swordsmen!?"

I put my hands up in a placating manner, Icha Icha sorely missed but not forgotten "I wanted to get them to trust and work together first before I gave them anything dangerous, but Sakumo-san and Sasuke-san aren't helping" I said "She works with everyone however, and she's ready, but if I start training her in heavy ninjutsu or other combat techniques, what little teamwork they have will go down the drain as jealousy takes over"

Gai took a deep breath, obviously this was bothering him

"This is beyond complicated Kakashi, she has nothing save for High Chakra levels, a brain hardwired for sealing techniques, and _That"_ he said "I'm currently planning on my team going for the Chunin exams, now that they've been physically prepared for it, I'd like to put them through a Mental and Physical Analysis program for a few days, with or without your permission, Nayuki will be joining them"

-Nayuki's POV-

I bit my lip as I tried to cut another leaf in half, only to turn the leaf into a small pile of pulp, for the fiftieth time "Moooah, this is haaaaard"

"Hmm… Here, let me try something" Tengu said, walking up behind me as I put another leaf into my hands, then he put his arms around me and put his hands around mine

"A-Ah"

"It's alright, let me guide you, push the wind chakra through, I'll try to help control it, gently now"

"_A-Ah"_

"_Relax, I'm here Nayu-chan, let me guide you"_

"_T-Tengu-kun"_

"_I'll be Gentle"_

'_Where's a Cold River when you need it!'_ I mentally screamed "A-Alright, T-T-Tengu-kun"

"Relax, you're using a bit too much, Holy-"

"Huh, what's wrong?"

He jumped back "S-So much chakra" He said "A-Alright, looks like we'll need to try something else first"

"Huh?"

"You're pushing waaaay too much chakra out"

"B-But I'm only using a tiny bit, I can't make any smaller than that!"

"Which is why we're going to do some Chakra control training" Tengu said "I need to refresh a bit anyway, while we're doing it you can tell me about the seals on my new weapons"

"O-Okay…"

He took me out to the river where we met up at "Um… how is swimming going to help?"

"It won't, the goal is to swim as little as possible" Tengu said as he walked on the top of the water "Like so"

"C-Cool!"

"Now you try"

"… How?"

"It's like Tree Walking, but you have to change your output to match the waves of the water" Tengu said "On top of that, when you're walking you have to predict how much to chakra to use before your foot hits the water, faster you move the harder it gets"

"O-Oh…"

"We'll start with standing on water, and then we'll do a slow walk when you can stand on your own without falling" Tengu said, walking back to the shore and holding a hand out "Come on, I'll help you"

I'm pretty sure I blushed because my face felt really _really _warm as I put my hand in his, carefully I walked onto the water as he helped me walk to the middle of the river, I only fell in five or six times before we got there

"That's it… just relax, feel the water lapping on your feet, you're starting to skin a bit, use a bit more output Nayuki-san" Tengu said, now using both arms to hold me up as we stood on top of the water, he asked about the seals, about how to activate them and all sorts of questions like Deviations and Pulse rate "That's it, you're doing great, now, I'm going to let go…"

"W-What?"

"Don't get nervous, you can do this"

'_He… I… I can do this' _I said, biting my lip as I concentrated on my feet

"You're doing it Nayuki" Tengu said, and I became painfully aware that he wasn't holding me anymore "Now, try to turn, don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall"

"P-Promise?"

"You bet" Tengu said as I started to turn "You're doing great, look great too"

I felt my face heat up again as he took my hands "Now, let's try a few steps, I'll guide you for a bit, just follow me" He said, pulling me with him as we walked across the water

"_Follow me, I know a place"_

"_Tengu-kun?"_

"_Just you and me, all alone… no-one to spy on us"_

"_T-Tengu-kun?"_

I bit my lip again as we walked through the water, eventually he let go of one hand, I nearly whimpered when he did that, and he sort of just guided me along

"Ok, stay here" He said, letting go of my other hand and walking away a bit

"T-T-T-Tengu-sempaaaaaai"

Eventually he stopped "Alright, head towards me, try to move at the same speed we were just moving at before"

I gulped and took a step, then another

My face broke into a grin and I jogged over to him, putting both arms around him

"I did it!" I said "I really did it!"

"Oi, Careful!"

"Thank you!"

"This is a real team" Tengu said, holding me as when I stopped jumping for joy "We help each other, even when we disagree"

I just hmmed as he held me, his chest is warm and hard and feels safe

I still don't know what's going on with me, I get all fluttery inside and I feel really warm and safe and lightweight and I can't stop thinking about him

And I really Really like it, more than Salt Ramen, and Salt Ramen is the Best!

'Cept for Tengu- sempai, he's even better.

"Now, let's go try that Leaf cutting exercise"

-Gai's POV-

I sighed as I walked back to my team, Kakashi had been spectacularly hard to get information from

And his excuse was weak, Can't teach them because it too dangerous, and letting them out of the village with a two jutsu between the three of them isn't?

When I got back, one corner of the training field was littered with Kunai and Shuriken, and Tengu was holding a red faced Nayuki as she tried to cut a leaf in her hands, meanwhile Ippo helped Negima practice guarding with her new armguards while also practicing how to use her new Chain Staff weights

"Alright everyone, front and-"

"Yatta! I did it!"

"-Center!" I finished, grinning as Nayuki bounced over to me with Tengu and all of the Enthusiasm of Ippo, though none of the speed, soon all four of them were standing front and center

"good, now, the Chunin Exams are coming up in a couple months, and I plan on nominating you three for them, However, before I do so, I want to be completely sure you're ready" I said "As such, all four of you will be entering a Mental and Physical Health Evaluation after our C-Rank Mission, the tests will one week, and will be carefully monitored"

"there, they will do full tests on Personality, Mental Capacity, and Physical Capacity, when you come out we'll know everything about how you think, how you move, and how you plan" I said "and how best to train you for the Exam"

"Yatta!"

"Hn, pointless, but I'll do it"

"Alright!"

"Um… Why all four of us?" Nayuki said "Y-You said they are entering the exams, not me"

I kneeled down and put my hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes "Nayuki-san, my Rival has disappointed me, you have so much potential but he held you back because he felt teaching you and your team any Jutsu would be detrimental until you had a solid foundation in the form of Teamwork" I said "however, he has yet to realize that some people simple Can't work together, Sasuke-san lost his family to the one he trusted most of all, and Sakumo-san is a very self-important person who looks down on those he feels are beneath him, until that is broken, there will be no teamwork with you three"

I saw tears start to well in her eyes "That is why I want you to take this exam, it'll show without a doubt not only to Kakashi, but to the Hokage and the Clan Heads that the fault lies in your team, and you might get the chance to fall into a different team, possibly becoming a permanent member of this squad" I said "I was there when Kakashi asked for the team he got, saying that you and the others could only work well, but it has been proven that he was wrong"

"Not only that, but I plan on training you until the exams, possibly during them as well and I need to know how to train you" I said "This will tell me, and I'll be able to make sure your dream of become strong comes true"

That broke the dam, and she tackled me, sobbing into my chest while Ippo openly wept and Tengu smiled warmly. Soon after, the two of them joined the hug, comforting the poor girl.

Negima wisely said nothing as we had our moment, and we eventually got to sparring

"Alright, since the two of you were already sparring, you will do so again in a three way battle with Tengu-san, use everything you have but put emphasis on the things you learned today" he said "the fight doesn't stop until at there is a single victor, and you are not allowed to team up with each other, Begin!"

-Nayuki's POV-

I was still wiping tears out of my eyes when they moved suddenly, Tengu pulled a Nagitana with a big red fur plume as a 'crossguard' to deflect an attack from Ippos chain staff and launch a stab towards Negima, who deflected with her new forearm and countered, but he just used the momentum of the weapon to pole vault out of the way, throwing a few of his new Kunai before using another scroll to unseal a large shield "_**Release!**_"

The seals on the kunai started going off one by one, all firing at a pulsed rated but never leaving a pause cause they had all started firing at different times

Ippo jumped up and flung one side of her staff at Tengu's shield, knocking him back as Negima wove between the Kunai, she's really flexible…

I tried to bend like she did and found I couldn't even come close to that…

"Negima's Gentle Fist style relies on flexibility and rapid strikes" Gai-sensei said "Her body has been trained and has a genetic disposition towards such flexibility, now, show me how far you've gotten"

"W-Well, Tengu- sempai showed me how to walk on water when we saw I was using too much chakra to do anything other than smash the leaf" I said "S-So I learned how to walk on water, I can do a light jog now"

A flicker of Shock passed over his eyes "And the leaf?"

I picked up from a nearby tree and put my hands around it, I could almost hear a light grinding sound in my head, before

_Fwip!_

I held the leaf in front of Gai-sensei's face "I got it!

He beamed at me "Congratulations, you've completed the first step!" Gai-sensei said "Hmm, we still have plenty of time to train, so we'll continue"

"You learn fast, but we have a lot of catch up work to do…" Gai-sensei said "I know, Your Youthful Shadow Clones, we'll use them!"

"… How would that help?" I asked

"Shadow Clones are a great Training tool for someone with your reserves!" Gai-sensei said "With them, you could learn any Jutsu in half the time it would take for anyone else!"

"R-Really!?" I asked "Sugoi, how!?"

"with just one clone"

I face vaulted "H-How is One clone going to help!?"

"… Don't you know how Youthful this technique is?"

"How is it Youthful, did someone only just make it a couple years ago!?"

-Minor Timeskip, Tengu's POV-

I panted, out of breath as Ippo slammed into me with her Chain Staff, now collapsed into a Metal Bo Staff

I winced and pulled back, throwing a set of exploding kunai when Gai-sensei whistled

Match over, time for more training

I walked over to Gai-sensei alongside the others, Nayuki looked like she was in awe

"That was… was… Awesome!"

"Glad you enjoyed it" I said, wincing at the pain "That's gonna bruise…"

Gai-sensei grinned and his teeth pinged "Alright, you've all earned a rest, why don't you all head off for the evening"

I grinned and nodded my thanks, heading over to Nayuki who seemed to have a Dozen clones trying to cut some rocks from the river now

"Hey, Nayuki-san, trainings over" I said "Wanna grab a bite to eat?"

Just turned and blinked at me before nodding "Just one moment" she said, as her clones all dispelled, she winced from something before her eyes lit up and she picked up a rock "I got it!"

"From Clones dispelling?"

"Gai-sensei said that Shadow clones are good for Chakra training, I've got a few fighting in the River right now, trying to get used to combat while water walking" she said, biting her lip and putting her hands around a river rock "And I just dispelled twelve clones who have been working two hours on just Wind Chakra manipulation, and look!"

She opened her hands to show off that she'd cut the rock in half with just wind chakra, grinning joyously as she held it "Now I'll be ready to learn some Awesome Wind Jutsu!"

"That's great!" I said "You'll be caught up in no time flat, jeeze, great mind and quick to learn Chakra techniques, how were you not Top Kunoichi?"

She just turned red at the comment and looked away, muttering something

"Huh?"

"N-None of them taught like you, Tengu- sempai"

Now it was my turn to be red

"O-Oh…"

"Wanna get Ramen this time?"

"Didn't we have ramen for breakfast, why not go for Barbeque, after a day of training like this some protein would be nice"

"Ramen has protein!"

"Not as much a nice steak…"

Her eyes looked curious, not mad at my comments, before she closed them and nodded "Okay, I trust you, Tengu-kun"

"Great! I know a good place"

-Nayuki's POV-

I smiled as Tengu brought me to a big barbeque restaurant with lots of tables and even some Teppan-yaki booths further back

"Welcome to the Dragon Blaze Grill"

"Table for Two"

"Regular or Teppan-yaki?"

"Regular, would like a window" Tengu said, the Waiter nodded, leading us to a booth by one of the windows "I'll be back to take your orders shortly"

We talked, weaponry, seals, different strategies for the C-Rank tomorrow, as well as some past experiences

"-And that's why Gai-sensei isn't allowed near hotsprings" Tengu said, causing me to bit my lip as light giggles escaped me

"H-He really did that?"

"Apparently it was some 'Test of Youth' that Kakashi-sensei had challenged him to"

-Sakumo's POV-

"What do you mean she won't be joining us!?" I yelled "She's our Teammate!"

"Funny, I thought you hadn't noticed" Kakashi said, reading his stupid book "You and Sasuke have both shown no effort towards treating her as an equal, let alone a teammate, whereas she has on multiple occasions"

Kakashi's book snapped closed "Furthermore, you two, despite thinking you're better than her, have shown that you're both far less mature and as such I cannot teach you any strong techniques with that in mind" He said "As such, you two will be taking a Psychological exam tomorrow, it'll be tiring, so I recommend getting some rest"

"Are you calling us crazy!?"

Kakashi glared at me "Hardly, however, it seems you two might not have the mindset _Needed _to be proper Shinobi, as such, you'll be taking this exam"

I grit my teeth as Kakashi explained this mess, first he refuses to teach us anything, now he's telling us he doesn't think we can be shinobi!?

Are you kidding me!?

"What kind of Sensei doesn't teach his students and just calls them failures!?"

"Enough, You'll be going and that's final, if it makes you feel better Nayuki will be going through a much more thorough exam next week"

I ground my teeth as Kakashi-sensei left, I hadn't been expecting anything like this, now if something happened it'd be hard to pin on that bastard…

Hard, but not impossible…

I waited until I couldn't feel Kakashi-sensei's chakra anymore before reaching into my equipment pouch

-Nayuki's POV-

I felt excited as Tengu led me back home so I could get my things; Obaa-chan is probably still cleaning up that section of the apartment, so she will probably be able to help me out.

Tengu just kept an arm around my shoulders while I leaned up against him, he has a really comfortable shoulder, not sure why, it seemed really solid when we trained together…

I should probably read that book Obaa-chan got me last year, the one about relationships, maybe it'll know what's going on!

Tengu, as if feeling my anticipation, started moving faster alongside me, so we didn't have to separate as we walked into the complex. We walked up the stairs as Tengu tensed a bit, watching Zippy run across the hall.

"Um…"

"that was Zippy"

"You… named the mice?" he asked "You realize they're not pets right?"

"Everyone and everything deserves a name." I said, stopping as I remembered when I first walked into this place, not knowing my own name.

"_Hello little one, where are your parents?"_

_I looked up from my hiding spot at the tall woman with a black shirt and blue pants, she was carrying a feather-duster too_

"_jii-chan says they're not here anymore, I can stay right, the orfanege said I can't stay there anymore…"_

_She looked sad, kneeling down next to me "Of course… what's your name?" She asked_

"_What's a name, is it like Ramen?"_

Tengu looked at me "Hey, are you al-"

I nodded "Y-Yeah… just remembering something" I said as we continued to walk towards my apartment room, I watched as Obaa-chan put a hand on the door to open it

Then there was a loud _**Boom **_as fire blew to door apart, along with a good section of the wall, and pushed her away from the room and into the one across from it.

_**(A/N)**_

_***Author walks onto a stage with a tied-up Sakumo thrown over his shoulder, and drops him onto the stage*  
**_

_**Joshin : Beside you you will find an assortment of different 'tools', ranging from Viking, to Roman, to Modern Day, and even a few Ninja tools, go nuts**_

_**Sakumo : UNTIE ME!**_

_**Joshin : If you'll excuse me, I must go punish myself for writing something that last scene, and hurting Nayuki-chan in such a way**_

_***Walks offstage***_

_**I don't know if other writers feel it, or if I'm just mildly insane, but it kinda makes me feel guilty as all heck to write up the scenes that hurt the characters I love, anyone else feel that?**_

_**As for Sakumo... Fret not, even after you deal out your punishment, he's not off the hook...**_

_**not by a Loooong shot...**_


End file.
